Headon
by Conn JS1
Summary: Health's a given for vampires, taken for granted like the setting sun. Until one day Edward collapses at school and his family has to take desperate measures in their attempts to save him.
1. Chapter 1: Why didst thou promise

Disclaimer: Except for minor details concerning Bella's gift, this story stays true to canon, and said canon, all its settings, storylines and characters, belong to Stephanie Meyer. Fortunately she doesn't seem to object to us playing with them.

**Headon**

**Chapter 1: ****Why didst thou promise such a beauteous day **

**Emmett's POV**

It was just one of these days - one of these days where I wished the sun was out, so we wouldn't have had to go to school, but be roaming the mountain ranges of Wenatchee national, trying to best Edward in a race along the icicle river, drinking in the glorious wildness of the place, the sun, and, yes, drinking the blood of a large, preferable feisty, animal.

Yes. That's what we do. It's what we are. But I'd also enjoy hanging out at home, lazing around, or working on the mountain unit of the WoW tabletop Jasper and I got for Christmas. Or watching Rosalie carefully file down replacement pieces to fix up Edward's Vanquish. Hell, I'd rather hold up fabric samples for Esme, who's redoing the dining room once again, than sit here today, crammed into one of these ridiculous chair-table combinations that frequent classrooms nowadays.

…_pero por razones de fonética los verbos con las siguientes terminaciones tienen una modificación ortográfica en todas las personas del presente de subjuntivo…_

Oh yeah, ladidadida. As if learning the rules had ever helped anyone to improve their language skills. The only way to really learn Spanish is to floor Rosalie's BMW until the southern border of the United States of America is nothing but a memory in your rearview mirror, hunker down in a small Mexican town, listen and talk.

Okay, maybe I was being too harsh. Senora Goff was actually a decent teacher who made us talk to each other, and she new some freaking gruesome things about ancient Maya practices, but honestly, a grammar drill, on the last day before the Easter holidays?

I looked over to Edward, sitting two rows in front of me, back straight, listening attentively. Overeager, studious little brother. I grinned when I saw him lean forward to rest his head in his hand for a moment though. Not even he could keep up the charade of the ever conscientious student on days like this.

…_Quiero que haca buen tiempo mañana._

I chuckled silently as I watched my brother wince at this valiant but futile effort of Danielle Prodney. The girl was a real looker, but not the sharpest knife in the drawer. How she had gotten into an AP Spanish class was a mystery to me. Maybe she had been too much of a distraction for Senor Barnes, who taught the regular classes.

I spent the next couple of minutes imagining her using her womanly wiles on poor unsuspecting Barnes - quite an entertaining daydream as it turned out. I could just picture his look of horror as she leaned over his desk, almost presenting her - uups - Edward might have been listening in on that one. I saw him rubbing his temples shooting me a pleading look. Just tune it out, bro, and leave me to my distractions. Danielle Prodney, Senor Barnes, or even better, back to the image of speeding down south in Rosie's car, her by my side, hair flying, leaning over to touch her beautiful soft lips against my …beep beep beep.

Finally! I got out of my seat the second the bell started ringing, and hurried towards the cafeteria. If I couldn't grab my beauty for a short trip to central America I could at least make good on that image of our kiss.

"Senor Cullen, todo bien?"

Surprised, I stopped at the door and turned around to look at Senora Goff. Her eyes, however, were set on Edward.

Edward was still in his chair, staring blankly at the blackboard full of Senora Goff's slanting handwriting. I smiled a crooked smile at him. When he was half-absent like this, it usually meant he was listening in on someone watching Bella.

"Are you coming, bro?"

"'Of course", he said, getting to his feet.

He barely took two steps towards me, when I saw his knees buckle. His hands flew to his head as he came crashing down on the central row of chairs. Wood splintered, metal groaned, and Edward let out an agonized moan as he collided with the floor.

Fuck!

Instinct took over as I rushed to his side at vampire speed while at the same time my mind was reeling. How would I explain my quick movements to Senora Goff. Screw that, how I would explain the broken furniture. Screw that too! The only thing that really mattered was what the fuck was wrong with my little brother?

He was curled up in a tight ball when I got to him, his head all but covered by his arms, palms clutched tightly over ears, his slender pianist's fingers drilling into his temples with such force that they would have crushed a human skull. I drew him into my lap trying to get him to look at me. His eyes were closed tightly.

"Edward? What the fuck?", I whispered, trying to pry his fingers away from his head. A soft moan was all the answer I got. "Come on, what's going on, bro?" I demanded. And then I couldn't help myself. Putting as much force behind it as a I could I yelled at him. "Edward, come on!" And at that he suddenly went limp in my arms.

"Madre mía! Llamo la enfermera! Y la ambulacia tambien" Senora Goff reached for the pone on the wall and started to dial.

Oh sure! One more minor detail to figure out - how would I explain to a nurse and a handful of paramedics that the fact that they wouldn't find a pulse was, actually, not the worrying issue at hand. Think fast, Emmett, come on!

First course of action: deception. Second course: get help. Third course: get Edward out of here and find out what's wrong with him and make him better. How number three was going to come to pass was still a mystery, but one and two had to happen right now. Make a decision Emmett, now, and showtime!

"Oh Edward, not again! I thought you were past these! Not to worry, Senora Goff! He's had these fainting spells since he was a little kid. Dad told me it's got something to do with his veins constricting, so all the blood goes to his major organs, so he gets headaches and all that, but he always just has to sleep it off. Tomorrow he'll be right as rain again!"

Her dialing fingers faltered and she held the receiver uncertainly in her hand. "Sentis se seguro? I do think I should at least call Nurse Hammond. He can rest in her office until Dr. Cullen picks him up, no?"

Oh yeah, about that. Carlisle and Esme were out on a hunting trip along the Canadian border. We were, in fact, expected to meet them there on Easter Sunday. Well, all of us except Edward, who had opted to stay behind to spend the time with Bella. Go figure.

I stole a glance at his empty face, trying not to let my worry show. It rarely happens, and I have the least experience with it, truth be told, but I do know that we vampires can experience pain. Jasper is living proof of that, and while he rarely speaks of the origins of his scars, the feeling of a bite or a torn off limb I have certainly gathered that all this is excruciatingly painful.

So, yes, we can hurt, physically as well as emotionally. And while it certainly was not fun, seeing the brief moments of pain on Edwards face, this was definitely worse. Vampires don't faint. Ever. Well, or at least as far as I knew. For all intends and purposes Edward looked - dead. Fuck! Back on track Emmett, you're rambling.

"Sin falta, senora! I'm sure he is just fine" How I wished…

Senora Goff was still pondering the situation, receiver in hand. Then a look of determination crossed her face – one that I knew well from grade decisions in oral exams. "Pienso que sea mejor if he rests at Nurse Hammod's", she said and resumed dialing. Oh well, there went that plan…at least it wasn't the hospital.

So, on to step two: "Rose! Jasper! Alice!", I called down the hall. None of them had had a class on this floor last period, but Senora Goff didn't know that, so she couldn't be surprised if they heard me. They were probably on their way here anyway since Edward and I had failed to show up at lunch. Alice would have checked up on us by now. Blast! How had she not seen this, anyway? Right, Edward didn't, strictly speaking, decide to get…well, whatever was wrong with him. I looked down at him again. Now that his hands had fallen limply away from his face, I could see the dark rings that marred the skin around his eyes. His mouth was slightly open, but no breath passed between his lips. I would never be able to explain that away to the nurse. I needed…

"Jasper!" I called out, as I finally heard his foot steps down the hall. He was jogging, the others not far behind. What had taken them so long? At last, his face appeared in the doorframe. "Jazz, Edward fainted once again. Can you make sure the nurse gets here soon? Senora Goff wants him to stay in her office until someone can come and get him."

It took all but a fraction of a second for his eyes to widen at the sight of Edward on the floor, my words, and my tone of voice, which was hopefully not shaky. God, let me have pulled that off convincingly. And God, let him have got the message.

Of course he did. It's Jasper, after all. He nodded briefly and took off. Rose already had her cell phone out and retreated down the hall after him. Gotta love that smart woman. And Alice? For the blink of an eye, she just stood there, eyes blank. Confusion and fear were etched in her face. And then they were gone, replaced by an almost condescending smile.

"Oh Edward!", she said, as she knelt down on his other side and reached out to pull her hand through his hair. The look of deep worry she threw me was invisible to Senora Goff, still standing behind her at the wall phone. It was all I could do not to mirror Alice. What the hell was wrong with Edward? And what would we do?

XXXIV

Any kind of feedback, language-, canon-,technique-, and otherwise is most heartily welcome!

_Translations of (what I hope is) Spanish_ (specially for Glorfindelkind):

…_pero por razones de fonética los verbos con las siguientes terminaciones tienen una modificación ortográfica en todas las personas del presente de subjuntivo…_

.. but for phonetic reaons the verbs with the following final sounds undergo an ortographic modification in all persons of present tense subjunctive...

*_…Quiero que haca buen tiempo mañana._...*...I hope the weather wull be nice tomorrow.

"Senor Cullen, todo bien?"..."Mr Cullen, everything allright?"

"Madre mía! Llamo la enfermera! Y la ambulacia tambien" ..."Holy Mary! I'm calling the nurse! And an ambulance as well"

"Sentis se seguro?"..."Are you sure?"

"Sin falta, senora!..."Without a doubt, Mrs."

"Pienso que sea mejor…"I think it would be better …


	2. Chapter 2: When most I wink

**Author's note**: Thank you so much for your feedback, encouragement and for pointing out where I have been remiss – Chapter one now includes translation of my attempts at Spanish (probably more Castellano than Latino, since this is what I learned), a proper disclaimer and the correct spelling of Emmet**t'**s name (wow – shame on me for getting that wrong! Can't blame that on not being a native speaker, hmm? *g*…). Anyway, here's Chapter 2 (to Glorfindelkind I can just say: Patience, grasshopper, there you go ;-). Alice's visions are enclosed in asterisks , which, hopefully is clear from the context anyway.

I hope you all enjoy it!

**Chapter 2: ****When most I wink, then do mine eyes best see**

**Alice's POV**

I had seen this. I had seen this very scene not two minutes ago. Jasper had reached out to steady the juice box in my hand. And then he and Rose had followed me here without questions, all of us breaking into a dead run – absolutely no pun intended -as soon as we had reached the empty science corridor. We had dashed up the stairs to Edward and Emmett's Spanish classroom, Jasper taking the lead, probably edged on by the turmoil of confusion and worry in me, and come inside to find my vision - *Edward, eyes closed, still. Emmett with a crazed look that he quickly hides behind nonchalance.* But why, why had I not seen this sooner?

I had checked this morning. I really had. Jazz should have gone hunting last night, but it was one of those rare nights that Edward did not spend at Bella's because Angela Weber had been staying for a sleepover, having asked for, as she had put it, " viral sanctuary from her measles-infected little brothers".

So Edward had spent the night home, on the piano bench, and Jazz and I had sat underneath the Kawai grand, feeling the soft music all around us, Jazz basking in the powerful swirl of emotions Edward must have been emitting. It was too beautiful an opportunity to be with him, and too wonderful to feel Jasper beside me, radiating with joy. We never left for our hunting excursion.

When Emmett barged in from the cold, ranting "Dude, did you write that essay on the nomenclature of polyatomic ions, 'cause I sure didn't. And can't you cool it with the classics? I could hear you all the way from Bogachiel State Park, and it's getting old, let me tell you", and Edward, with an evil grin, switched to the soundtrack of "Sound of Music", which was followed by a groan, a sneaky attack that was, of course, not sneaky enough, and a wrestling match that would have warranted a 2 on the Richter scale, well, then it was simply too late. Time for school.

So once we were all piled into Edward's Volvo, me snuggled comfortably against Jasper's chest on the backseat, I had cast ahead for anything out of the ordinary, anything that might mean trouble.

* A white sheet of paper. It is upside down in front of me, but I can easily see the text shining through the unbleached paper. _Complétez les phrases avec les formes convenables du verbe au conditionnel present. Ensuite …_ *

Okay, a pop quiz in French. That wouldn't faze Rose or me.

*"Come on, big guy, or we'll be late", Rosalie throws over her shoulder, her beautiful blond her bobbing with every step. "Coming, love!", Emmett replies, lengthening his strides. They turn left at the end of the science hallway to cross through the courtyard and reenter the building at the rear of the arts&crafts wing.*

3rd period. Electronics & Woodworks for those two. Oh, and for Jasper. Would somebody hurt themselves? Would Jasper –

*Rosalie steps out into the courtyard, eyes still on Emmett, smiling but impatient. Suddenly the heel of her boot gets stuck in the grate right outside the door, breaks of, and her unexpectedly shorter leg slips on the icy ground. "Wooah!" She flings her hands out, sliding over the frozen puddle, wobbling front and back until she catches herself on a lamp post. Her eyes are wide. Okay, every human would be but down on the ground by now, but by Rosalie's standards, this was, well,...I hear Emmett's guffaw simultaneously with Edwards, the sound of which had drawn me back into the reality of the car. *

"Emmett, you're in for a real treat! Thank you so much Alice, for being my sister, for having let me see this. I love you". Edward had barely been able to get this out between bouts of laughter. Only this morning. Hardly more than four hours ago. Just to make sure there wasn't more to it, that Jasper really wouldn't do anything he might regret I had even returned to that vision.

*"Rose, maybe if you had done this more often, Edward just might have fallen for you. That was very close to Bella. You're sure you aren't pining for him after all?", Emmett asks smirking from the door. "Emmett McCarty Cullen, for this you shall pay!", Rose glowers.*

And he would. I had seen that too. But there had been nothing more to it.

*I had successfully talked Bella into putting on the boat-necked moss-green running shirt I had brought for her and while she was still grumbling when we exited the ladies locker room I already knew Edward would love her in it. "You'll thank me later", I tell her, and I can see that her devil-stare is only half serious. Well, someone needs to make sure she shows the world how pretty she is, and who'd be better suited for that than me, honestly. Sad is the dog that can't wag its own tail, Emmett would say. And the look on Edward's face is worth it*

"She is beautiful in everything, even in her old sweats", Edward had commented.

Damn, I had wanted to surprise him! Well, nothing I could do about it now. Unless I switched with her and…

"I see that too, Alice".

Of course!

* "Okay, so, no more laps and step aerobics. Today we start with Volleyball. Two teams of six to each court, and remember, guys, be gentlemen and spike softly when you aim at a girl, these balls can break fingers, you know", Coach Clapp cautions as he sends us off.

Jasper and I retreat to the court at the very back of the gymnasium and wait to see who will be brave enough to join us. Edward carries a laughing Bella to the other side of the net and puts her down at the serve position. "Are you sure this is wise?", Jasper teases. "If she stands there she will have to touch the ball at least once. That's inviting disaster".

"You know, he is right", Edward says frowning, "Coach Clapp just warned us. If ordinary girls can break their fingers you might just break an arm and a leg. Maybe I should put you up there on the referee's seat", he says, pointing at the orange plastic chair attached to the top of the wall bars. "Yeah, sure. With my luck, someone will manage to spike the ball up there and shoot me down. Just let me hover unobtrusively down here, and you guys can have fun playing volleyball", Bella replies tensely. "Fun? Or something like that" Jasper grumbles.

We always start out in high school when we move, so we can stay as long as possible. Some classes have changed over the years, as human science has involved or the curriculum has changed. If the school has a decent language program that's something at least. We practically dove at the Cree classes offered at Denali – something new, something challenging. Art projects are creations of their own each time. But gym – well, gym is gym, and will always be mind-numbing and boring.

Slowly, our court fills up. It's the usual candidates, Mike, Jessica, Ben and Angela, but also, to my surprise, Rosanna and her friend Susan, and two boys I must admit I have never noticed before. Edward frowns at them, but says nothing.

"Okay, folks, let's see it", Coach Clapp yells from the other end of the gym and blows his whistle.

"A miracle shall come to pass", I can't help teasing, after having briefly glanced ahead. Jaspers eyebrows almost disappear underneath his stunning golden tresses. "Far be it from me to doubt you!", he replies grinningly. And then the ball Bella has just served passes over the net to me and I dance toward it to send it back to the other side. Susan steps back to set the ball. Bella tries to move towards the side to give her more room, and – I see her on the floor, her elbow already turning dark blue, Ben running for an ice pack, when the vision merges with reality – Edward having swept her off her feet, shooting me a thankful glance.

"Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for Alice will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.", Jasper whispers. I smile, and use the time it takes for one of the unknown boys to retrieve the Ball that has rolled into the neighboring court to kiss him on the inside of his wrist, where the smooth vucana long-sleeve meets his crisscrossed skin, so soft to the touch, but every inch so individual in its cruel pattern, that I would know its exact place on his body even if I only saw the snapshot of a tiny part of it. "Careful, my love. If you let yourself be distracted you might just be tried for contributory fault to manslaughter or make our brother really, really unhappy", he chuckles into my ear.

And indeed, within the remaining 30 minutes of the game Bella manages to almost injure herself about a dozen times more. When she tries to bump a ball to Mike and swings her arms directly into his midsection the impact is louder than that of the ball ricocheting off the pole. Edward is busy catching it before my vision of it slamming into Bella's head becomes true. Or was he? Sometimes I wish I could look into his head. He just smirks, and Jasper starts laughing.

They are both still grinning, when the game has drawn to a close and we head back to the lockers. "Oh Bella", Jazz teases, "I am just glad there was a net between us!" "Not funny", she replies, "I could really have hurt Mike." Edward draws her into his arms and kisses the top of her head. "I wouldn't have let you seriously wound him. Well, at least not mortally. And I'll give you that, my love, with the task of keeping the whole team alive, this gym class was actually a challenge!" "Hmpf!"*

See. That had been the most unusual thing that was going to happen on that day. An exciting gym class. Nothing, nothing close to this.

Imploringly I look at Emmett. "What happened?", I whispered, just loud enough to carry over Edwards motionless body. Em shrugged infinitesimally. "I think his head hurt. Really badly. And then this".

"Quizás deberemos elevar sus piernas, no? So that the blood can go to the head?" I had almost forgotten Mrs. Goff being there. Of course. Of course we would have to do all the things one would know to do for a human brother prone to fainting spells. It was Edward who had studied medicine, he who would be familiar with the necessary procedures, with the motions to go through while our minds were reeling.

"Tiene razon, naturalmente". Emmett, reacting before me, gently lifted Edward's head and setting it down on my lap to get up and draw one of the still whole chairs close and lift Edward's feet onto its seat.

I scrutinized the familiar head now resting on my thighs. His face was just as pale as always. The dark blotches under his eyes spoke of days without feeding. Why hadn't he gone hunting tonight? It would have been the perfect opportunity. We would have gone with him. Had he fed to little? Could lack of blood do this to a vampire? I quickly decided to hunt down a deer for him and spoon its blood between his lips. I let my vision drift to check. No. It had made no difference.

Suddenly I saw him twitch. It was the most minuscule of movements, but it couldn't escape my watchful gaze, the perfect perception of a vampire. In the blink of an eye it was gone, but while it had lasted, it had spoken of pain and fear.

Carlisle would arrive in precisely two hours and seventeen minutes. Since joining this family I had always trusted him to know what to do. I could only hope he would do so now, as I did what I do best. I looked ahead again.

XLIII

Like it? Hate it? Too much suspense? Too little development? Should I never attempt to write a comic relief again? Did I write something that, to more competent speakers of English, means "he took the cow by her hindquarters and tickled her till she mooed in rhyme" or something similarly ridiculous. I appreciate all of your thoughts, so please, please, review!

_**Notes:**_

"_Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for Alice will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared."_ is from the bible, Proverbs 3: 25-26. Of course it says "the LORD" instead of Alice, but neither I (nor Jasper, for that matter) mean any disrespect by that and hope that no one has been offended by the gentle teasing.

**Translations:**

_Complétez les phrases avec les formes convenables du verbe au conditionnel present. Ensuite …_ hopefully means _Complete the phrases with the appropriate form of the verb in present conditional. Then … _in French

"_Quizás deberemos elevar sus piernas, no? _is supposed to mean _"Maybe we should elevate his legs, don't you think?" _in Spanish

"_Tiene razon, naturalmente"…"You are right, of course"_


	3. Chapter 3: Where I may not remove

**Author's Note: **I apologize if my way of classifying this story has lead to some confusion. Firstly, and I hope you're not terribly disappointed, this is not an Edward/Jasper fic, I just put them in as main characters, because, in a way, this story revolves around them, but Carlisle is just as important, and, in a way, so are the others. If you feel strongly about it, I might write a spin-off of the last couple of chapters of this story at one point that bring them together, but as it's planned it has canon-couples all the way. And secondly, my apologies to LaNaturalBreezeOf-Books, I often re-post previous chapters when I update in order to get rid of typos, so it might say that a couple of new chapters are up, when in reality it's always only one. That's it for now – enjoy!

**Chapter 3: Where I may not remove nor be removed**

**Rosalie's POV**

"Okay, Carlisle, we will!"

I snapped my phone shut, feeling the warmth of the little electronic device in my hand. My conversation with Carlisle had lasted only 92 seconds, and already the resistance in the wiring and circuitry had increased the cell's heat by almost 2 °. Someone should really develop a decent cooling system for these things. Or I could, and we'd sell it online. Emmett would get a kick out of doing the gadget designs. So would Alice. But then again, humans probably didn't even feel the difference in temperature I could now feel at my hip, having pocketed the phone.

I let the thought slide, as I walked back down the hall. I ran my right hand along the creases in the brick wall – three horizontal welts for each step, covered by plaster and wash-down wall paint, cleaned with the kind of disinfectant hat gives all school we'd attended the same peculiar smell.

Nearing Mrs. Goff's classroom, I could also smell her, in all her matronly humanness. She smelled of spices and hairspray, and of the chocolates that Emmett has told me she hands out on test days. She has them in a basket, together with the obligatory nr.2 pencils, which gets passed all through the room twice – once at the beginning, and then again at the end of the test, so that all pencils and wrappers are neatly collected again and no mess is left behind. I liked that. I liked most of the other teachers here. It had been eight schools. Eight schools, eight identities, 32 looker combinations all committed to perfect memory forever, back, since I had last felt so at home anywhere.

I hoped dearly that whatever was going on in that classroom just a couple of feet in front of me now, would not mean we would have to leave prematurely. I inched closer, pondering going in. I could hear the one heartbeat throbbing with worry, and could imagine that two others would if they could. And mine? Of course I was worried. But I wasn't even going there. Carlisle would figure out what had happened. He had fixed us all. He could fix you when you didn't want to be fixed. But in order for him to do that, we had to get Edward out of here. Edward. What had he done? Granted, he had been making bad choices all over the place for the last two and a half years, but what, what had he done now? Whatever could have made him end up in a pile of what at some point must have been chairs and tables, and could plaster that look on Em's face?

I had to go in and help them. To help Emmett not to worry, to cover for Alice, in case she saw something, to do whatever it took to get Edward out of this place as fast as possible. But I hated it. I had always hated to go in. Even when my human mother had been sick, and the maids had called me in to talk to her, hold her hand and wipe the fever-induced sweat from her face. Or when my youngest brother had broken his leg and had been bedridden for weeks, driving the whole household to distraction with his antics. I had always hovered close to the doors of sick rooms, thinking of what was going on inside, but going in would have required seeing them in this, this state. They were not supposed to look like this. I couldn't, I wouldn't see that.

I rarely borrow from Emmett's vast vocabulary of colloquialisms, but on the rare occasion their directness is as necessary to my sanity as my husband's smoldering looks when I come out of the shower. "Rosalie Lillian Hale, suck it up!"

As I stepped into the classroom, three heads whipped in my direction. I hesitated, taking in the scene. Edward lay in the center of the room, still, unmoving, his head, messy hair all over, resting on Alice's lap. They had put up his feet on a chair from the left row, and Alice held a wet cloth against Edward's forehead. We are so good at pretending. Emmett was kneeling behind her, easily tall enough to look over her head, eyes trained on me. Mrs. Goff, at the teacher's table, also watched me expectantly.

"Calisle and Esme are taking the next plane home. Carlisle says it's probably nothing to worry about, just his childhood syncopes acting up again, but Esme insisted on coming back. In the meantime, they'll send someone to pick us up, so Edward can rest at home."

Nothing in this little speech would tell Alice and Emmett anything new, but it was all I could give them. It would take Carlisle and Esme at least two more hours to run all the way home. We couldn't stay that long. 40 years ago, we could have just made an excuse and left school, but nowadays teenagers cannot get off at any but their designated school bus stop, let alone leave school early unescorted. We usually manage to get around that – we are all well-versed in the art of administrative-staff-persuasion, none so much as Edward and Jasper. But there's no way they'll let us carry Edward out of here, apparently unconscious, without at least an adult present.

I walked up to the huddled trio and took the cloth out of Alice's hands to rinse it at the sink at the back of the room. Not that it needed the additional cold. Not that there would be any sweat for Alice to wipe away. But I needed to do something. I wrinkled my nose as I returned the piece of fabric to Alice's awaiting hand, identifying it as the yellow cotton used to clean the dry-erase boards. What an insult. Okay. I would give whatever nomad or gullible coworker Carlisle was tracking down to send to us 5 more minute. If they weren't here by then I would just grab Edward and run. Or I'd tell Emmett to do it. That might look a bit more natural. We would figure out some explanation or other later.

I hadn't properly looked at Edward yet. I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Hey, why should I? I knew this was bad, okay? Nothing that has a vampire flat on his back, oblivious to the world, can be minor. So we needed to do something. 180 seconds, no more. I'd call that patient. I didn't yet formulate a plan. Alice might object. But once those seconds were up I'd take action. I am nothing if not a good improviser.

32 seconds.

24.

15.

And then I could hear the clicking of heels down the hallway, the pace fast and urgent, but not hectic. I knew the others could hear it too. I knew what Emmett looks like when he tries to appear not to listen. I strained my ears. No heartbeat. And then I could hear a whisper, so low that I almost had to guess at the meaning of the words.

"I'm your great-aunt Maylin, Carlisle's mother's sister. I was your family doctor until I retired. Got it?"

Äh, what? I was still processing this, when Alice mouth an almost inaudible "Yes". And then the vampire called Marylin rounded the corner.

She was, well, old. She looked like a television grandmother, complete with a gray perm, thick glasses, a floral-patterned blouse and multiple layers of skirts against the chilly March air. On top, however, she wore a lab-coat, and her hands clutched one of these old-fashioned leather medicine bags that could have come right out of a Dr. Quinn episode. Her eyes were sharp, and – amber? Oh well, a family resemblance if ever there was one – and they meant business.

Who was this woman? I didn't even know that there were vampires of that human age. I mean, who would have turned her, and why? Could we trust her? I shot a glance at Alice, who drifted for a split second and then gave me the tiniest of nods.

All this took no more than a fraction of a second. No matter how dire the situation, the first and foremost rule of the Cullen family was to act your part. And we were all much too good at it. Alice was still holding Edward, so this one would be mine. Whatever it took. Three, two, one, scene.

"Auntie Marylin!", I shrieked, throwing my arms around her neck in an almost Alice-like fashion. The woman called Marylin caught me, but made a stumbling step backwards. "Oh, so much energy, my dear. Look how you've grown, you almost threw me over, jumping me as if you were still a little girl." She stepped out of my embrace to shake hands with Mrs. Goff and introduce herself.

Then she looked over the rim of her glasses at Emmett and Alice, still huddled at Edwards side. "Good to see you all, my dears. But let's have a look at what young Edward has done this time, hmm? That reckless little boy. Fainted again, hmm? Well, we haven't had that one in a while."

With apparent practiced ease, she slid a stethoscope between the buttons of Edward's dress shirt, and seemed to listen intently. "Well, that sounds nice and steady." I could see the corners of Emmett's mouth curl up a bit at that and could guess the reason. Nothing was steadier then solid silence. The old lady then placed her right cheek half an inch above Edwards slightly open mouth, watching his chest. Nodding contently, she smiled. "That all seems to be in order". Then she reached for his wrist to take his pulse – and all hell broke loose. Alice screamed, just a split second before Edward did. His back arched, and his scream turned into a groan he could barely get out between heaving breaths that seemed to torture his lungs. His body contracted painfully as he lurched forward and emptied the content of his stomach on the linoleum floor of the class room. For a second, his eyes were wide open, black and bloodshot. His gaze roamed wildly as his hands flew through the air. And then he was gone again. His body slumped, and Emmett, still at his back, caught Edward's crumbling body in his strong arms.

"Por amor de Dios! Tenemos que llamar 911. Eso es sangre. internal bleeding, madre de dios, va a morir, pobrecito". "Oh, no, dear senora, not to worry, this is not blood at all. I dare say Edward has had a bottle of red Gatorade. Let me tell you, this is certainly not blood". In the matter of fact way that seemed to be so typical for her, Marylin reached for the cloth in Alice hands and wiped away the offending red. "Do not worry yourself, we've seen it all before, haven't we, kids?"

"Yeah, sure!", Emmett answered, "Doesn't make it any easier to watch though." But his tone had the slightest bit of hesitation in his voice – probably unnoticeable for anyone who didn't know him well. But to me it spoke volumes of all the thoughts crashing through me at the same time. What, what by all that was holy, was going on here? And what was this strange doctor playing at?

"For that I am to blame. I apologize. There must be something wrong with his gift"

The voice was so quiet, if I hadn't been watching her put on plastic gloves and wipe away the remainder of the blood, for, of course, it was blood – boar, to be precise – where had he caught one of those? but the smell was distinct- anyway, I would have missed her lips moving. I wanted to confront her, to push her away from Edward's body, now again lifeless on the floor, but there were more pressing matters. At least I wholeheartedly agreed with her next words, spoken out loud "I would say we all go home now, so Edward can rest where he will be most comfortable"

We all looked at Mrs. Goff, who was wringing her arms, almost red in the face. Something was coming. Taking French this time around I had had no personal experience with her, but Emmett's anecdotes about her temper fits had given me the picture. 3 -2- 1 – "Oh no, absolutely not, doctora, he is ill, very ill. He has to go to a hospital. Nurse Hammond is on her way, and I am sure she will agree with me that he needs to go to a hospital prontissimo and be examined properly. Doctor Cullen would insist too, seguramente. "

"Dear Mrs. Goff, please calm yourself, I assure you that a trip to the hospital is completely unnecessary. And you will find that I am well within my rights to take all of Carlisle's children home with me. My nephew would not appreciate you making this difficult, believe me."

"With all due respect, doctora, I will have to put my feet down, Mr. Cullen, as everyone can see, is very very ill. I cannot allow…"

I had to interrupt this, or it would get out of hand. We needed to get out. And soon. If a battalion of doctors were to swoop down on Edward we would be doomed. I was out of time, but also, out of ideas. There was no precedence. We had never had to worry about any of us avoiding a doctor's attention in case of sickness – vampires didn't get sick. Period. Carlisle had always sent in reports of physicals for all of us, giving us a clean bill of health, and that was that. Could the school insist on having Edward picked up by an ambulance and shipped off to the hospital? Without Carlisle there, that would be a disaster!

"Mrs. Goff, this has happened before, really. We'll just take him home and he will be all better. I will…". Suddenly I heard footsteps coming up the hallway. The well-worn rubber of tennis shoes on linoleum – a very distinct sound. Had Jazz messed up? Was it the nurse? No – no medical smell, but a familiar one– oh no –

Alice called out the name that had sprung to my mind. "Bella!"

What happened next was so fast, that even my vampire mind didn't quite grasp the causalities behind it all at first. Bella stormed into the classroom, calling out "Alice, what happened? Edward!", shock clear in her eyes as she found him down on the floor, unmoving, with blood on his shirt. She charged forward, all color draining from her face, caught her foot on something formerly identifiable as a chair, and came tumbling down on Edward, Alice and Marylin, crouched at his side. Arms flew as everyone tried to steady her as she landed, half on Edward, half against Marylin's chest, on the floor.

And Edward opened his eyes.

XXV

**Endnote:** Okay, I swore I'd get them home with this chapter, but since my Rosalie has a tendency to drift off and think of her past, her present and her future, I didn't quite land where I wanted to. Next time, I promise.

If you've read that far, please, please, tell me how you like it!

**Translations:**

"Por amor de Dios! Tenemos que llamar 911. Eso es sangre.""… "For the love of God! We have to call 911. That's blood.

" madre de dios, va a morir, pobrecito"…""Mother of God, he will die, poor kid"

"prontissimo"…"extremely fast"

"seguramente"…"certainly"


	4. Chapter 4: All this away

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long wait. It's hard to squeeze in writing time during the semester. Fortunately, Easter break's just begun. Special thanks to all of you who reviewed - especially to those who wouldn't give up! - you are what keeps me writing! WishIwereaWeasly - you're right about the chapter headings - congratulations - you're a Granger, hm *g*? Now, finally, Edward gets to contribute too. You can tell the spoken voices from the mental ones by the quotation marks, even when he himself can hardly make out the difference ;)

**Chapter 4: All this away, and me most wretched make.**

**Edward's POV**

A sharp, constant ringing, pounding in rhythm with the deep, throbbing ache between my temples. A gis', ais', c'' chord. I cringed at the jarring dissonance, the acid taste it created in my mouth, trying to make out the voices causing it. The overwhelming screaming almost drowned out the desperate raging, the pleading and the agonized prayers. Almost.

_Don't, please, please, it hurts so much! I don't know. I would tell you if I could! Please, please, not again!_

I covered my head, trying to shield it from the brunt of the onslaught. A futile attempt. I hissed at the bright light shining into my eyes, rendered almost useless anyway by the scotomata blurring my vision, and screwed them shut again. With effort, I drew a ragged breath. Pain exploded in my solar plexus, and it was all I could do to twist my fingers into the strands of my hair and keep myself from screaming. Only on the very edges of my consciousness was I aware of the jumble suddenly assaulting my ears.

"_Sssshhh, Edward, don't move just yet!"_

"_Welcome back to the living bro! _

"_Easy now, young one, that was quite a nasty fall you took!"_

"_Madre mía estoy feliz que pasó" _

"_Finally!"_

What? I tried to make sense of it around my pounding headache but I could barely make out the voices.

_Not my girls, they are just kids you monsters. _

_Daddy!_

_Aaaaaah! It hurts!_

" Edward! Edward, what is it? What's wrong?"

That one rang clearly through the haze, and I forced my eyes to open and search out the deep, chocolate brown orbs that could enchant me so easily. I blinked, trying to clear my vision, but it remained fuzzy, blackness encroaching from the sides. Nevertheless I could clearly make out the familiar shape of her oval face, bending close. I gritted my teeth against the pain of focusing my eyes on this loveliest of vistas, but I also had to look beyond. They needed help, and desperately. I had to get up. I squeezed my eyes shut as the nausea threatened to overwhelm me when I struggled to lift my upper body off the floor.

"What do you think you are doing, young Edward? Now you lie still and tell me where it hurts!"

At this my eyes shot open again. I hadn't heard that voice for the better part of a century. "Marylin?" I reached for her, but she flinched away. As my fingers brushed against her arm the next wave of voices threatened to overwhelm me and I found myself incapacitated.

"_Now don't you let go of him, girl"_

_Let me go, please, I am begging you!_

_Just a sip of water!_

_Please, if you have any mercy at all then end it here and now. _

_Please, I want my mum!_

"_Come on, don't lose it on us again now"_

"Emmet!", I gasped, latching on to his voice. I could feel him bending closer to my head and felt relieved. Emmett at least I could trust to do the right thing when it came to matters like these. "We've got to help them", I forced out between my clenched teeth. I kept my eyes tightly shut, struggling for the breath required for speech. "You've got to get the family together, we have to get them out. About 50 people. They're being tortured. I don't know by whom. I can't hear anyone else. Just the screams. But they cannot be far."

"Ed, calm down. You're not making any sense"

"Por dios! Se ha hecho daño su cabeza!" Somewhere, dimly, I registered this. Humans. Protect your cover. Find out what the story is and stick to it. I wrestled against the darkness threatening to engulf me again. What was the story? What was going on?

"I cannot believe you fainted again, after all those years. Trying to get out of your calculus test or what? And now you'll make Esme and Carlisle cut their holiday short and aunt Marylin's attempt to give her nephew a decent week off comes to nothing. Shame on you! You're feeling okay now?". Alice. Sometimes I do wonder whether she cannot at least read *my* mind. Well, and Jasper's, I guess. I tried to return the impish smile that accompanied her banter, but the unmasked worry in her eyes caught me off guard. I wanted to reassure here – I was not the one in danger here, after all, even if I was catching the backlash of whatever was going on. This thought brought me back on track. We had to get out of here, so I could explain, and then we needed to do something.

"Oh well, Alice, maybe I just couldn't stand your cooking for another evening. Now that Esme's on her way home I'll be just fine." Well, not too fine, or we might have to finish the school day. "Just the usual headache after. " Looking vulnerable was entirely too easy for my liking. "Can we all go home?" "Of course, young one.", Marylin said with well-practiced authority. "Emmet, I do believe you hold a valid driver's license? Would you bring my car around while I take care of the administrative details necessary? It is parked behind what I believe is the gymnasium. And Rosalie, would you get your wayward twin and tell him that the nurse's services are no longer needed?" Rosalie was here too? How had I missed that?

"Estas seguro que sientas bien, señor Cullen? Quizás la enfermera deba examinarte, no?" "Me encuentro muy mejor, gracias! No se preoccupe, señora, estoy en buenas manos, nuestra tía es médica. Estoy bien". Well, I guess I would be, once we got out of here and dealt with whoever had decided that the international declaration of human rights was, well, not even a guideline. I shifted my weight onto my elbow, starting to get up, when pain suddenly flared through my awareness, causing me to fight against waves of nausea assaulting me again. Rending flashes of light obscured my vision and bathed the world in hazy yellow. When a new bout of pain lanced between my temples I had to choke back a gasp. Then, suddenly I felt warmth spread through my body, and some of the pain receded, enabling me to get to my, admittedly unsteady, feet. I looked up and stared directly into Bella's beautiful face, which was covered in a deep frown. "What? What is it Bella?"

"I don't know. It just feels odd. I probably should have had some lunch". I had to frown at that. She needed to take better care of herself. Humans were such fragile beings. How long would those last, whose thoughts I could hear so clearly, amplified by the intensity behind them. The desperation. The pain.

"Que te mejores!"

Oh yes. Nod Smile. "Gracias señora. Felices vacaciones!" And now: walk! Embarrassment and chagrin were raging a battle with the dizziness and pain threatening to engulf me as I shuffled along, held upright by Alice and Bella. It was all I could do not to drag my feet.

This went beyond anything I had ever experienced. Alice, Jasper and I all encountered the occasional headache or even lightheadedness when we strained ourselves in using our gifts. We even tired, in a way, although sleep was no remedy us. This seemed to be especially true when confronted with human thoughts, emotions or futures. Carlisle had theorized that humans were just so flighty and ever-changing, their thoughts and emotions so raw and unadulterated, so different to us, that they effected us stronger. After Jasper's first winter formal he had spent the weekend wiped out on the couch. "I'd take an army of newborns over a gymnasium full of hormonal teenagers any day", was all he'd said. Since then he and Alice leave dances before the obligatory crying-fest after midnight. In my century of existence I had experienced nothing to relate this to. It just…it hurt…badly.

"Alice!", I managed to gasp. "There are about fifty people somewhere close by held…"

"Shush! Not here", Alice whispered back. At that moment a classroom door to my right burst open and a group of students dashed down the hallway. I swayed, trying to avoid the book bag of one of them. "It's okay. We've got you". Bella. Bella keeping me from falling over. There's something decidedly wrong with that. I tried to pull myself together, fighting the haze and the weakness in my limbs. "Now don't you play proud, you lean on your girl. She can take it." Marylin. I still didn't know what had brought her here. But Alice was right. This was not the place.

The school doors seemed a ridiculously far way to walk still. As we passed the next classroom door the pain in my head flared through my awareness, causing me to fight against the waves of nausea assaulting me. I closed my eyes tightly, trusting Alice to keep me from crashing into anything. Or anyone, for that matter. But walk I would.

**Rosalie's POV**

I weaved through the school corridors just fast enough to not arouse suspicion should any of the humans catch a glance at me through one of the glass panels of the classroom doors. Not that humans were very perceptive. I could probably dash into the art classroom at my right, undo Jody Manser's stupid French braid and dash out again and none of the humans in the room would be any the wiser. But why risk something like this? One of the points where I'll never understand even Emmet. But, I guess, boys will be boys. Or rather vampires.

Speaking of vampire boys. Where was Jasper? I had rounded the last corner and had a clear view of the hallway with the nurses' office. No sight of his unruly blond hair nor the Deer Brook button down shirt Alice had insisted he wear that morning. For crying out loud! Wasn't the situation bad enough as it was? I took a deep breath. His scent lingered on the bench across the hall, but got stronger as I rounded the next corner. Then I spotted him, sitting astride of a chair left outside a storage room, his eyes closed.

"Jasper." When he didn't react I quickened my pace. I reached out to lightly touch his shoulder. "Jasper?" At that he did open his eyes. He shook his head as if to rid it of an image and gave me a weak smile. "Are we ready to move?", he asked, getting to his feet. "Yes, we are." Was he, though? I carefully studied his features, but neither his eyes nor his posture gave anything away. He just nodded curtly at my imploring gaze. "Just too much apathy. It would be prudent for the nurse *and* the janitor to not care too much about what they are doing today. Edward created quite the lumber pile, and we cannot take care of all of this now. I'll sneak back tonight and remove the evidence. For now this will do".

Together we walked toward the main entrance. I could hear the vampire called Marylin say "Well, then that will have to do", and when we came upon the desk of Mrs. Cope, in charge of attendance, I could see Bella steadying Edward as he got into the oldest, shabbiest vehicle on this continent - well, maybe it would draw even with 'the thing' - a formerly red Peugeot 205. I could feel Jasper tense up next to me, but when I looked at him he relaxed again. We nodded our goodbyes to Mrs. Coop and at last exited the building.

I met Bella's gaze, as she met us at the door. Rare were the moments when I could sympathize with the girl, but the concern on her face I got. I felt the reassuring smile on my face before I could reign it in. "We'll get you as soon as school is out!", I could hear Jasper whisper beside me, holding the door open for both of us. Then we were outside and she was gone.

Cool spring air, smelling slightly like rain hit my face, and smooth strong arms encircled my waist. Emmett. Whining. "Did you see him, Rose? He was barely able to keep his feet under him. What the fuck. Why did I have to get the car? Why couldn't I carry him? I'm strong enough, it wouldn't have looked odd. You drive too!" My strong man desperate - that was so rare an occurrence that I did a double take.

That's when Jasper interceded. "Apparently our great-aunt wanted Bella to hold him - and her tagging along to touch him would surely have aroused suspicion. I don't quite understand it, but she must be doing something. He's out cold again." Sure enough, when I glanced through the window of the hideous three-door, I saw Edward lying limply in Alice's lap, has right arm dangling down on the floor mats. Fuck! What was going on here? Marylin, behind the wheel, waved impatiently, and the three of us outside the car glanced uneasily at each other. "I sense no deceit from her, just concern", Jasper said. "And Ed did recognize her, right?", Emmett added. At that moment, Alice scrolled down the window. "You're coming with us, Emmet", she said, fumbling with Edward's pockets and procuring his car keys. Tossing them to Jasper, who easily caught them, she told us to meet them at the house. Shrugging, Jasper said "Come on! Alice knows best". So I did.

**Jasper's POV**

Even from the car tailing the red Peugeot I could feel Alice's worry, and that, in turn, worried me. If my little gipsy didn't see Edward's future as certain, then there was no certainty to be had. I could still feel the aftermath of Edward's pain lingering in my body and choked hard at the bile rising in my throat. *You have no bile* I reminded myself. I'd have taken the burning pain over the moment when it disappeared and I knew consciousness had fled him again. Having seen vampires being torn limb from limb and still screaming in rage I wondered at his condition. Having passed out only once, after a particularly violent series of battles, when all Peter could do was keep the smithereens that made my body from being consumed by the raging fires, I saddened at the state my ever-protected little brother must have been in. Despite what he and Carlisle called his 'rebellious years', none of my siblings had ever had any experiences with real pain, and I didn't wish it upon any of them. At peace is the mind that is ignorant.

Beside me, Rosalie was fidgeting. I did my best to stay serene, for my sake as well as hers. Hysteria helped no one, and while my alleged twin was not known to break down worrying, today might try even her. I did my best to stabilize her emotional climate while speeding down the road to our house. Whatever had gone amiss today, we'd soon find out, and once we did, a cool head would serve us best.

Once in our driveway, I watched Emmett extricate Edward from the car, and gather him into his arms. I let him, feeling the protectiveness as well as his dire need to not be helpless emanating from him even before I could read it in his face. That was Emmett - honest and direct to the last. He wouldn't last a day in the company of more traditional vampires. But this family had its own strengths. As I offered Alice my hand getting out of the tiny red car, I again remembered how she had brought us here. "Carlisle leads them well in his own way.", she had said, and proven right she had been, as always. But Carlisle was still some leagues off, so I shot a hard glance at the woman getting out of the driver's seat at that moment. I stepped between her and Alice, as she rounded the car, and fixed her with a stare. "Who are you, and what do you know about this", I demanded. At that moment, my phone started ringing. "It's Carlisle", Alice whispered behind me. So I reached into my back pocket to answer the phone.

XCI

**End Note:** Okay, I hadn't banked on Edward passing out again, but it is true, Marylin has no authority to get Bella out of school… Many things will become clearer in the next chapter, which is Carlisle's POV. But until then- please, please, tell me how you liked this chapter and the story so far! And do tell me if you would like an additional Edward/Jasper alternative ending, because then I'll start to drop ambiguous hints in that direction soon…

_**Translations:**_

"Madre mía estoy feliz que pasó" … "Holy Mary, I'm glad this is over."

"Por dios! Se ha hecho daño su cabeza!"… "My God! He has hurt his head!"

"Estas seguro que sientas bien, señor Cullen? Quizás la enfermera deba examinarte, no?" … "Are you sure you feel fine, Mr. Cullen. Maybe the nurse should look you over, shouldn't she?"

"Me encuentro muy mejor, gracias! No se preoccupe, señora, estoy en buenas manos, nuestra tía es médica. Estoy bien". … "I'm feeling much better, thank you! Do not worry Mrs, I'm in good hands, our aunt is a doctor. I'm fine"

"Que te mejores!" … "Get well!"

"Gracias señora. Felices vacaciones!" … "Thank you Mrs. Enjoy your holidays!"


	5. Chapter 5: In winged speed

**Author's Note: **Two short chapters instead of one, because it worked out better that way. The second one is Esme's POV because RingGoesSouth is right, that is done so rarely. No worries, Anon, this will certainly not be Be/Al – it's canon couples all the way, with an alternative version that ends up Jasper/Edward and consist of outtakes (the first of which I'm working on right now) and a new ending. Glorfindlekind, thanks for forever fixing my language errors! *bows deeply*

**Chapter 5 : ****In winged speed no motion shall I know**

**Carlisle's POV**

I was still dripping with salt water when I dashed through the dense foliage of Salt Creek Rec. Diving through the Salish Sea rather than circumventing it had gained us at least four hours, but it had also effectively destroyed our cell phones. I would need to dry off before I could get a new one somewhere along the way, and the suspense had my nerves tight as bowstrings.

Behind me I could hear Esme's feet rhythmically hit the soft earth. For all her grace and ability of stealth, today she was almost thrashing through the forest. We were banking on no one feeling particularly inclined to bird watch on this misty, grey day, and on our ability to outrun anyone who might be. "Where those close to your heart are concerned, my friend, you always throw caution into the wind". Aro had been right in his assessment. I could still hear his words as clearly as on that sunny day when we had swum out to Capraia island and I had saved the young man, that had been serving as my herb supplier, from being crushed by a boulder that was to enhance the fortifications of St. George fortress. An angel sent to bless the decisions made by the Congress of Vienna - that was what the people had made me out to be - bless those times full of myths and superstitions - and I had never heard the end of it. Aro enjoyed teasing his subjects.

Just as clearly as his words, but much more immediate, I could hear Rose's. A call from any of my children during school hours was a rarity as such and usually cause for concern. But nothing had prepared me for the panic in Rosalie's voice, let alone for her words. "Carlisle. Edward fainted. Emmett says he was in pain. The school wants to get him to the hospital. You have to do something. Now!" The thought of Edward in pain had made my silent heart clench, the thought of him passed out my medical mind reel, but the last bit of the preciously limited information had shaken me out of my shell-shocked state and spurred me into action.

Edward, unconscious, in the hands of my colleagues was worrisome on more than one level. There was nothing they could do for him, for one thing. If he came to he'd be unsettled - having died in one Edward was never big on hospitals despite his medical degrees. If he was unwell he might lose control amidst the smell of blood that wafts down most hospital corridors. And if he didn't - well, even a simple physical would immediately reveal his unusualness. "You do understand, my old friend if any of you expose us with your unnecessary mingling with humans, that shall be the end of all of you." *Aro, why do you haunt me today?*

I had turned on my heels and started running south, rattling off instructions to Rose, while mentally going through the list of legal adults close enough to Forks who I could trust to get Edward out of school. Hacking into the school system to add a pick-up authorization would be easy - thank God for the technical advance called a smart phone - but who? Who could be there it in time?

My immortal brain had flicked through a catalogue of faces, discarding one after the other. No humans could be involved - none of them would have understood the need to keep Edward away from doctors or, indeed, their own temperature-sensitive hands. I had no knowledge of nomads passing through the area that could be convinced, bribed or threatened into helping us, and our friends in Denali were much farther away than Esme and I. I had briefly considered asking Jasper to call J. Jenks, but even he would have had to drive up to Forks. In this, minutes had mattered.

Two faces had burst into my mind that I hadn't seen since Edward and my time in Europe, but my perfect recall had given me precise images. I had remembered them down to the youthful dimples of the one and the deep crow's feet of the other. They had never been particularly fond of vampires considering that this had been their state of being for centuries, and were generally not readily inclined to help any of our kind. But maybe for Edward they would come. "No matter what, make sure that no doctor examines him, Rose!", I had stressed. "Okay, Carlisle, we will!", she had answered, and I had ended the call to punch in a number I hadn't dialed in ages, praying it would forward to an existing phone line. I had been rerouted and rerouted until finally I had gotten an answer. "Petrus-Krankenhaus Wuppertal, Dr. Bayer am Apparat". "Marylin, this is Carlisle speaking. We need your help!"

Now the trees whizzed past me as I ran. I could feel their heavy branches fall against my skin, wishing I could speed up further until I could feel them actually whipping my arms and legs, longing for the physical paint that would be real and comprehensible. Esme's face beside me was taut with worry, and I was sure mine fared no better. It was good to feel her beside me, the love of my life, the metronome to which my existence was so attuned that my lids seemed to blink in rhythm with the bobbing of her pony tail. But I would give all my wealth and possessions right now if I were not here but already 30 miles south.

Finally we came upon the tiny conglomerate of houses and stores that make Sappho and I rushed into the first one that would get me what I needed. The two minute wait until the SIM card was successfully activated seemed endless. Finally, with shaking fingers, I punched in a number on my brand new phone. "Come on, Jasper, pick up!"

Calling Jasper was the obvious choice – in times of crises not involving himself he always knew how to take charge of a situation. And while I sometimes craved him to be more emotional and affectionate with me, I appreciated his detached manner in these situations. He did not disappoint me.

"Carlisle, where are you?"

"Sappho, you?"

"All home, Edward's upstairs, unconscious."

"And Marylin…?"

"… is with us. Is she …"  
>"I'll explain when I get there. Don't grill her. Watch over them all. We'll be there shortly"<p>

"As you say"

* * *

><p>Finally we crossed the river behind our house. To my infinite surprise, no one came out to meet us. I cocked my head at Esme. I'd have expected them all to rush out to talk to us, but more often than not Esme had a better idea of what's going on in our children's minds than I do. However, she merely shrugged her shoulders. Eager to see Edward, I rushed towards the house.<p>

The hallway and kitchen were empty, but when I came into the living room, I found Emmett, looking out into the drizzly forest through the large panorama window. When he turned I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Where is everyone?"

"What'che expect? Alice is sitting vigil over Eddie, wearing her head out trying to find him, Jasper's standing guard over both of them, while having me on the lookout for anyone approaching, and Rose's in the garage fixing the toaster."

"The toaster?" I was momentarily taken aback at that. This contraption had only recently come into use in our house, and the smell it had wafting through our house had brought some joy to my family, as it meant that Bella was here, but Rosalie was not the only one that had had to gag slightly at it, even if she was the only one that did so openly. The smell of human food in our house, normally our sanctuary after hours of being exposed to humans, their smells and the temptation they brought, had not been a particularly welcome change for my children, and I had expected a small celebration at its recent malfunctioning from Rosalie rather than an attempt to fix it.

"Something to do", Esme whispered beside me. "Marylin took off with my cell phone, said to call if something changed or if you came home. ", Emmett added. I nodded and asked him to do just that. Then I finally swallowed and dashed up the stairs to the very last room, to look in on my first child and, hopefully find out whatever it was that ailed him.

LI

**Translations:** „Petrus-Krankenhaus Wuppertal, Dr. Bayer am Apparat"… "Saint Peter's hospital Wuppertal, Dr. Bayer speaking"


	6. Chapter 6: For the breath of words

**Chapter 6: Then others, for the breath of words respect**

**Esme's POV**

Half an hour later found us all in the living room, in deep discussion. Jasper was pacing in front of the window, occasionally touching Alice's back, perched as she was on the back of Carlisle's favorite wing chair. Emmett had cajoled Rosalie out of the garage and into his lap, and they took up most of the sofa. Carlisle had exited Edward's room in a defeated manner and had not found the calmness to sit down beside them, opting for leaning against the mantel of the fireplace. Nothing he had tried had roused Edward. In fact, nothing had affected him in any way. "He looks just as his father had", Carlisle had whispered into my shoulder.

I hated to see his haunted look and the way his eyes flickered to the ceiling now. My heart followed his gaze that seemed to gaze through the wall into our son's room. Edward had been so happy since finding Bella that it seemed even worse to now see him lying lifeless on what we all fondly called "Bella's bed", his skin so pale against the bronze comforter, his hands still and eyes closed. But I also had complete confidence in my husband's skills. Whatever held our son in unnatural sleep, Carlisle would be able to fix it. He always did.

"I didn't even know we could faint", Emmett said with an intrigued look on his face. Two voices answered simultaneously "We can". Carlisle and Jasper looked at each other, and Calisle waved his hand, inviting Jasper to continue. "This is basically what happens to a vampire if you have ripped them into enough pieces but haven't burnt them yet. Not dead, still able to regenerate, but not conscious either." A cold shudder ran through me and I could see Carlisle wince at Jaspers' graphic way to put things. I hated the knowledge that this would not be something that Jasper had been told, but that our gentle southern boy had had firsthand experiences of that kind.

"Just as we can be killed if our bodies and minds are put under enough stress our nervous system can give in, overwhelmed by all the signals it gets", Carlisle supplied. "So wherever they are, we have to free these poor souls in order for Edward to be able to come to again." I had to smile at that. "Carlisle, we would go looking for them anyway. From what I gather from the few words Emmett got out of Edward, no one should treat another living being like that, even if these were government prisoners. We'd never sit idle and let that continue." "Hell no!", Emmett chimed in. "Let's get moving!". "Emmett, we can't. We don't know enough. We need him awake for more information Come to think of it, how did you get him to regain consciousness long enough to tell you that much?" I hated to hear the hint of frustration in my husband's voice.

"That would be my doing". The voice from the door startled me and I whipped my head around. If I hadn't known any better, I'd have thought the vampire in the doorway was Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire. But of course, this had to be Carlisle's old friend, Marylin. "Doubtlessly, Carlisle has filled you in on what he likes to call my gift, so thereby you may draw your own conclusions on the nature of special inclination your young human friend seems to have."

Confused we all looked at Carlisle. Bella had a gift? He just shook his head. "Let me introduce to you all Marylin Bayer, former colleague of me and Edward when researching immunology in Brussels, brilliant doctor, missanguinothrope and gifted friend. No, in fact I have not yet. It didn't seem important except as a means for you to reach them in a timely manner." The grey-haired vampire raised her eyebrows at that. "Well, I have no talent of my own, merely the ability to enhance whatever gifts others have, be they fully developed in a vampire or an ingrained aptitude in a human. Catalyzers we are called, and while I reject being seen as a car part you do get the general idea from the term. My sister can teleport things or people within limits. Me she can teleport to wherever the hell she pleases." She shot Carlisle a wry smile. I raised my eyebrows at that. Past experiences?

"Hold on, lady, Bella has a gift?", Emmett mirrored my earlier thought. "Well, she appears to be able to block whatever thoughts are assaulting the young one. With my help she was able to shield him sufficiently for him to wake. I was rather adamant on her coming with us for precisely that reason, but the school administrators were set against it, so what's an old lady to do?"

"You said his throwing up blood was your fault". Rosalies voice cut icily across the room. "So I said and so it was", Marylin replied unfazed, "I touched him, thereby amplifying his ability to hear thoughts. I presume this sent him over the edge. While touch is not strictly necessary for me I cannot help what I do if in physical contact. And, you see, the catalyzer does not provide the necessary strength. The strain in addition to the increase in reception, so to speak, in all likelihood proved too much stimulation for his system. "

"Begging you pardon, but who cares about the details. Jazz, come on, let's scout the area. Somewhere up close some assholes will learn a lesson tonight and the whole thing's behind us." "Emmett!", I scolded his language out of habit. Deep down I knew that his brusque manner hid his own uncertainties. Vulnerability was a new concept for Emmett the vampire, and he didn't like it one bit. He was looking at Jasper expectantly, and I followed his gaze. Only then did I realize that Jasper had not contributed to the discussion at all. While usually quiet and preferring the background, he had always sprung into action when it came to organizing against troubles.

"Jazz?", Alice asked.

"I just don't buy it."

"What do you mean, you don't buy it? What and Why?", Emmett put into words the confused stares we others were shooting at Jasper.

"March 7th 1952.", Jasper answered, a wistful smile on his lips. I flipped through my memories like a photo album. The boys fighting on the porch of the Victorian mansion we lived in then, an argument between Edward and Jaspers that had gotten out of hand but then been defused by Emmett's suggestion to simply put to the test the object of their dispute. We never quite got the details of what had happened that day in the forest, something parents know they are better off with at times anyway, but Jasper had won the bet, with more than rewarding results for us all I'd say. Humor tugged at the corner of my mouth at the memory. Edward modeling for a painted ad for boxer shorts, which had just come into fashion at that time, had provided the family with hilarity for years to come. As far as I know, the actual poster had grazed the wall facing Jasper and Alice's bed in every house we had lived in since. Sure enough, Alice could be heard softly singing the old radio jingle under her breath "Anti-squirm shorts with the seamless seat".

Jasper shot her a wry smile. "Yes, well, the point is, Edward's range might be more extensive than mine in general, but intense emotion far outdistances intense thought."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that my gift is substantial. Granted, so is my control over it and my pain threshold. But there is no way, if a group of humans were being tortured somewhere close by, that Edward is rendered unconscious and I am left standing, without even feeling the current of pain in the air. Now y'all can argue that which way you want, that dog won't hunt, so I'll go and pick up Bella."

And with that he grabbed a set of keys from one of the drawers and was gone. Seconds later I could hear the rumbling engine of his 1964 Ford Galaxy start up. I glanced at the clock and noted that he still had more than an hour until the end of the last period. And he had taken his own car rather than the Volvo the townspeople were used to seeing. Apparently somebody had some thinking to do.

I wish he would share his worries with us. I wish he would not forever deal with everything on his own. But it was an idle wish. We knew him to well by now to think that with time he would trust us. He did trust us. This was just his way of handling things. Alice smiled at me reassuringly. "He'll bring Bella and then stay with us. Don't worry. I have my ways of weaseling things out of him. But about what he said…" At this, a discussion ensued, with theories flying wildly from the precise difference between thoughts and emotions to specific blockings of powers and the roles everyone from the Quileutes to the Volturi might be playing in all that.

I did not join in. From where I was standing, there were three possibilities. Either this involved a group of humans being tortured so cruelly that the intensity of their thoughts was more than Edward could handle but somehow somebody was blocking Jasper's reception. Or somebody or something had come to Forks to specifically target Edward and overpower him. Or there was something out there that could affect vampires physically that neither Jasper nor Carlisle, despite their long existence and stores of knowledge had ever encountered. Then Edward was sick and hallucinating and already in a come.

Whichever of these possibilities was the reality we were facing, it was bad, and there was little to be gained from me weighing the options against each other. So my mind flew out to Jasper, who was in all likelihood doing just that, debating with himself, trying to find flaws in each theory and planning on how to tackle each possibility in turn. I hoped that the girl he was bringing home would once again be the key to breathing new life into Edward, and that then we would find out more. Soon we would know.

LXXXV

**End Note:** Simple and straight forward: Writers that post online live and breathe for reviews. If you've read that far, please take the minute to tell me how you like this story. I love detailed analyses of what you think works well and what doesn't and what should happen next, but I more than appreciate a simple "Read it, was okay" (or "Read it, sucks" for that matter) as well. Thank you to all of you who take the time to do so!

PS.: The link to the advertisement that inspired the stakes to Edward and Jasper's bet can be found on my profile. All rights are held by Hanes Givvies of course. *g*


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